ADDIS ABABA: TANZANIA’S Under-17 side yesterday booked their place at the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after a commanding 3–1 victory over Kenya in the CECAFA Zone semi-final at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The victory not only confirmed Tanzania as one of the three CECAFA representatives at next year’s continental finals, but also propelled them into the regional championship final, where they will face the winners of the late fixture between hosts Ethiopia and Uganda.
Tanzania were in control from the outset, opening the scoring in the 20th minute through Nhingo Luzelenga.
Ten minutes later, Luqman Mbalasalu doubled the advantage with a well-taken effort that left the Kenyan goalkeeper with little chance.
Kenya fought to stay in the contest and were rewarded in the 84th minute when Armstrong Omondi pulled one back, raising hopes of a late comeback.
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However, Tanzania extinguished those hopes six minutes later, with Soann Shabani sealing the match in the 90th minute.
Despite the defeat, Kenya remain in contention for qualification, as the CECAFA Zone has three available AFCON spots.
Tanzania have secured the first, while the remaining two will be determined by the outcome of the final and the third-place play-off.
Tanzania’s qualification caps an outstanding campaign, following an unbeaten run in Group B where they topped the standings with dominant wins: 5–0 over Burundi, 2–1 against Uganda, an 11–0 routing of Djibouti and a 6–0 victory over Sudan